1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of fertilizer compositions and more specifically to the field of methods of producing a fertilizer composition.
2. Description of Related Art
Plants, and for that matter all living things, require nitrogen, among other micronutrients, to survive and grow. This is because nitrogen is an essential building block of amino acids, which are in turn the building blocks of proteins. Plants are unable to utilize the di-nitrogen that is readily available in the earth's atmosphere. Instead, they require nitrate or ammonium that can be found in soil. Di-nitrogen from the atmosphere can be converted into soil by a process known as nitrogen fixation. This occurs naturally by lightning strikes, precipitation, and a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria. Alternatively, man-made fertilizers can utilize the Haber process to produce ammonium.
During the agricultural process, plants utilize the readily available soil nitrogen as they grow. Once the crop is harvested the soil is left depleted of its available nitrogen. This nitrogen must be replaced before a new crop is planted, to ensure the preceding crop has proper available nutrition. To compensate for the lack of nitrogen, farmers have a few options. They can elect to use crop-rotation techniques such as using legumes to help fertilize the soil for future crops. Alternatively, they can elect to fertilize the soil with man-made fertilizers as discussed above.
The widespread use of fertilizers comes with a multitude of inherent problems. First, if the fertilizer contains hazardous chemicals or additives, these can be washed away by irrigation, and sent to downstream collection sites. Second, organic fertilizers often require significantly greater volume application of fertilizers as compared to conventional chemical based fertilizers. This excessive application often leads to runoff and pollution of important sources of downstream surface and subsurface drinking water. This causes large concentrations of toxins and excess nutrients to be present in areas where they should not, as well as cause algae blooms in bodies of water that decimate aquatic life. Less harmful techniques have been developed that recycle organic waste from sewage and industry. If treated properly, these waste materials can be used to address the metabolic needs of plants as well as ensure the safety of the public.
Biosolids, such as anaerobically-digested municipal sewage. This process uses facultative bacteria under anaerobic conditions to decompose the organic and bacterial matter within the biosolids. These are typically classified as “Class B” as they may contain pathogens after digestion by the bacteria. In contrast, “Class A” biosolids are heat dried and are more favorable in their usage for animal and human crop growth. “Class A Exceptional Quality” have undergone additional treatment and are granted the classification of “unrestricted use” as a soil amendment and fertilizer. To acquire this certification, the process must be proven to remove enteric viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. Drying the biosolids wherein the total composition of moisture is less than 10% has the negative of lower fertilization value because nitrogen content is only 2% to 5%. As market value for fertilizer is principally based on nitrogen content, raising the nitrogen concentration is favorable for the plants as well as the business. Methods disclosed herein function to benefit the growth of plants, as well as the health of the environment and community.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a safe, economical, and effective means of producing a non-toxic fertilizer to be used in the agricultural and home and garden industries. The fertilizer must combine multiple ingredients evenly and consistently and allow for the use in conjunction with a hydroponics system.